Medusa wants to be more like her two sisters and the other kids at Mount Olympus Academy — immortal. Is that too much to ask? As one of the few mortals at MOA, it’s hard not to get jealous when you’re surrounded by beautiful, powerful goddessgirl and godboy classmates. And it isn’t easy making friends either, especially when you have snakes for hair and one mean reputation!

Review:

I have been interested in The Goddess Girls for a while, but I was reluctant to go back and try to catch up on the series. Medusa the Mean is the eighth installment, and when I had the opportunity to be part of a blog tour, I jumped at the chance. I ‘m glad that I did, too. I had no problems following along with the plot, and found this to be a very fun MG read.

Medusa has a few issues. She wants to be popular, and she wants super hottie Poseidon to notice her. The problem? Nobody is tripping over themselves to be her friend. Who wants to be BFFs with a mortal girl with snakes for hair? Her own parents don’t even seem to care for her, so it’s easy to see how Medusa developed an Olympus sized chip on her green shoulder.

I was extremely sympathetic toward Medusa. She is one of the only mortals to attend Mount Olympus Academy, and she feels that she doesn’t fit in. She longs to be immortal and to have powers like her sisters. It’s hard being the only triplet without special powers! Medusa is so desperate to obtain immortality that she falls for gimmicks that keep getting her into trouble.

Despite her desire to have friends, Medusa is wary of her peers. Being the object of ridicule will do that, and Medusa is often the butt of jokes and teasing. It seems that only her snakes accept her for who she really is. With her trust issues, she keeps rejecting the friendly overtures from the girls she longs to be friends with. I could relate to Medusa and her social awkwardness. It’s hard to make friends when you worry constantly that people are only setting you up for a joke. Instead, she reacts with snarky comebacks, or worse, ignores everyone in the vicinity. While she keeps finding fault in herself, she feels that she must also find fault in others.

Medusa the Mean is a quick, feel good read. Though I was starting to worry that Medusa would never catch a clue, she eventfully learns that being friends is a two-way street. She learns that if she wants people to like her, she can’t be selfish and self-absorbed. Most importantly, she has to accept herself for who she is, and stop judging people based on their looks, instead of their personality. I enjoyed the characters and the setting, and wouldn’t hesitate to read more books in the Goddess Girls series.